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The Africa of the night

4Feb2010

Sarkozy did nothing of the kind.

Many had believed him when, as a presidential candidate, he committed himself to a postcolonial clean-up in a speech in Benin in 2006: ‘We must rid Franco-African relations of the networks of a bygone age, of informal emissaries who have no mandate other than the one they invent for themselves.’

There would be no more nodding and winking, no more ‘secrets and ambiguities’: ‘Relations between modern states can’t simply depend on the quality of relations between heads of state but must hinge on square and honest dialogue.’

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Very good article. Thanks for pointing it.
Actually I was at this speech in Benin. No one believed him I think. It was just an electoral speech.
This day Sarkozy should have met the newly elected Benin president, Yayi Boni. But a phone call from Chirac (still president) cancelled the interview few days before. Sarkozy was upset and only met with the son of the mayor of Cotonou.

I’m an Associate Professor of Political Science & International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. I use field work and statistics to study poverty, political engagement, the causes and consequences of violence, and policy in developing countries. [Read more]